September 3, 2014

NREL recently released the Assessment of Offshore Wind System Design, Safety, and
Operation Standards report, which summarizes regulations, standards, and guidelines
for the design and operation of offshore wind energy projects in the United States.
The report, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), also provides a snapshot
of industry and government efforts underway to develop guidelines for U.S. offshore
wind energy development.

NREL's report builds on the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) Offshore Compliance
Recommended Practices, which was published in 2012 and included key contributions
from NREL researchers. AWEA's report was based on existing standards—from the International
Electrotechnical Commission, the International Organization for Standardization, and
the American Petroleum Institute—as well as guidelines from the American Bureau of
Shipping and DNV GL, a leading ship and offshore classification organization.

Although the AWEA document provided an interim pathway for U.S. offshore wind energy
development, it did not address some of the challenges unique to offshore wind development
in the United States. Structures must be designed to withstand extreme operating conditions,
such as hurricanes or the accumulation of freshwater ice, and also to operate in deeper
water deployments requiring floating structures.

To develop or adapt appropriate offshore wind standards, NREL's report authors performed
detailed analysis of current and pending wind and offshore design standards and guidelines.
The results of these analyses had to be synthesized with national offshore meteorological,
ocean, and lake conditions to identify gaps. Then, to bridge those gaps, the authors
created more comprehensive recommendations for conditions the United States.

As a result of this initiative, there's now a broader definition of meteorological
ocean resource assets, needs, and design standards, as well as a basis for making
recommendations to meet offshore wind energy industry data and design certification
requirements. Overall, this project is designed to enhance ongoing multiagency efforts
to develop an integrated national offshore wind energy data network.